Last
weekend the Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) of the National Union of Journalists
(NUJ) was held in snowy Scarborough, Britain. Hands Off Venezuela supporters had a busy weekend as there was a
motion lined up for discussion on Venezuela as well as a debate against the
privatisation of the BBC and the opposition to the war in Iraq. Saturday afternoon saw a
discussion of a motion on Venezuela that criticised both the role of
the Venezuelan media owners in the coup against Chavez in 2002, and the use of
the British media in limiting and misrepresenting information on events in Venezuela. The resolution also recognised the
support of working people and the poor for the Chavez government as expressed
in the presidential recall referendum in August 2004 as well as how this
support was the result of the progressive social programmes implemented by the
government. The motion also agreed to further the issue of the Venezuelan
revolution within the labour movement, to participate in a trade union
delegation to Venezuela, to build links with Venezuelan
trade unionists and to work for these aims with the Hands Off Venezuela
campaign.

The motion
was presented by a speaker from the National Executive Committee and had
favourable amendments from the Book Branch and London Central that had speakers
supporting it. After a very interesting debate, the ADM agreed to support the
motion.

ADM also saw
the biggest fringe meeting in the form of a joint meeting between Hands Off
Venezuela, Justice for Colombia and Cuba Solidarity Campaign. More
than 30 attended a meeting chaired by NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear and
with 3 speakers: Jorge Martin, International Secretary of HOV, Carlos Cruz,
Colombian Journalist and Jesus Gonzales, Economic counsellor of the Cuban
Embassy.

Jorge
Martin outlined the necessity of supporting the Venezuelan Revolution by trade
unionists internationally and explained the situation in Venezuela. Carlos Cruz, on the other hand
explained the difficult conditions for trade unionists and journalists in
neighbouring Colombia and the Cuban speaker gave a good
account of the economic and social situation in the island. A couple of NUJ
members who are supporters of the Colombian Solidarity Campaign reported on the
incident in Bristol when the Colombian vice-president got red paint thrown at
him in protest of the role of his government in the assassination of trade
unionists in that country.

The weekend
in Scarborough was a good opportunity for HOV
supports to advertise the campaign, sell material and ensure that the NUJ is
fully behind the inspiring Venezuelan Revolution. In the coming months we will
have speakers in as many branches and chapels as possible to start a debate
about the media in Venezuela and the need for international support for
Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution.

Full text
of the motion passed:

ADM notes the results of the referendum last
August in Venezuela which gives its president Hugo Chávez an overwhelming victory and a
stronger mandate for his “revolution of the poor”.

ADM further notes that these results confirm
that Chávez’s social programmes on literacy, health care, job training, land
reform and subsidised food is popular with the working people and the poor.

ADM regrets that medias in Venezuela played a major role in attempting to unseat Chávez. The five private
channels and the ten national newspapers used their near monopoly of the media
to blast Chavez for destroying the economy, antagonising the US government and
expropriating private property. This partisan approach of media owners has
resulted in journalists’ and media workers’ lives being daily at risk with
constant harassment, physical and verbal aggression.

ADM also notes the use of British media in
limiting the information on developments in Venezuela misrepresenting, for
example, the land reforms.

ADM recalls that an IFJ mission to Venezuela in 2002 concluded by calling on the wider trade union movement to
support media professionals striving to maintain journalistic integrity in the
face of intolerable pressures. Both our sister union the Sindicato Nacional de
Trabajadores de Prensa and the Colegio of Periodistas declared their strong
opposition to the manipulation of the media by all sides and called for new
initiatives to create editorial standards that will stand up to political and
commercial pressure from owners and politicians alike.

ADM reaffirms its opposition to any attempt by
US backed groups to destabilise Chavez and instructs the NEC to support the IFJ
affiliate SNTP in defending its members against the intimidation they have
endured during recent years, and carrying out the urgent dialogue between
government, media and journalists needed to restore public confidence and
maintain ethical and professional standards in their work.

ADM agrees to support any wider trade union
initiative to highlight the issue of Venezuela within the British labour
movement, including the participation in a trade union delegation to meet and
build links with Venezuelan trade unionists. Furthermore, this ADM pledges to
work with trade union endorsed campaign such as “Hands Off Venezuela” to further the above aims.

Last
weekend the Annual Delegate Meeting (ADM) of the National Union of Journalists
(NUJ) was held in snowy Scarborough, Britain. Hands Off Venezuela supporters had a busy weekend as there was a
motion lined up for discussion on Venezuela as well as a debate against the
privatisation of the BBC and the opposition to the war in Iraq. Saturday afternoon saw a
discussion of a motion on Venezuela that criticised both the role of
the Venezuelan media owners in the coup against Chavez in 2002, and the use of
the British media in limiting and misrepresenting information on events in Venezuela. The resolution also recognised the
support of working people and the poor for the Chavez government as expressed
in the presidential recall referendum in August 2004 as well as how this
support was the result of the progressive social programmes implemented by the
government. The motion also agreed to further the issue of the Venezuelan
revolution within the labour movement, to participate in a trade union
delegation to Venezuela, to build links with Venezuelan
trade unionists and to work for these aims with the Hands Off Venezuela
campaign.

The motion
was presented by a speaker from the National Executive Committee and had
favourable amendments from the Book Branch and London Central that had speakers
supporting it. After a very interesting debate, the ADM agreed to support the
motion.

ADM also saw
the biggest fringe meeting in the form of a joint meeting between Hands Off
Venezuela, Justice for Colombia and Cuba Solidarity Campaign. More
than 30 attended a meeting chaired by NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear and
with 3 speakers: Jorge Martin, International Secretary of HOV, Carlos Cruz,
Colombian Journalist and Jesus Gonzales, Economic counsellor of the Cuban
Embassy.

Jorge
Martin outlined the necessity of supporting the Venezuelan Revolution by trade
unionists internationally and explained the situation in Venezuela. Carlos Cruz, on the other hand
explained the difficult conditions for trade unionists and journalists in
neighbouring Colombia and the Cuban speaker gave a good
account of the economic and social situation in the island. A couple of NUJ
members who are supporters of the Colombian Solidarity Campaign reported on the
incident in Bristol when the Colombian vice-president got red paint thrown at
him in protest of the role of his government in the assassination of trade
unionists in that country.

The weekend
in Scarborough was a good opportunity for HOV
supports to advertise the campaign, sell material and ensure that the NUJ is
fully behind the inspiring Venezuelan Revolution. In the coming months we will
have speakers in as many branches and chapels as possible to start a debate
about the media in Venezuela and the need for international support for
Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution.

Full text
of the motion passed:

ADM notes the results of the referendum last
August in Venezuela which gives its president Hugo Chávez an overwhelming victory and a
stronger mandate for his “revolution of the poor”.

ADM further notes that these results confirm
that Chávez’s social programmes on literacy, health care, job training, land
reform and subsidised food is popular with the working people and the poor.

ADM regrets that medias in Venezuela played a major role in attempting to unseat Chávez. The five private
channels and the ten national newspapers used their near monopoly of the media
to blast Chavez for destroying the economy, antagonising the US government and
expropriating private property. This partisan approach of media owners has
resulted in journalists’ and media workers’ lives being daily at risk with
constant harassment, physical and verbal aggression.

ADM also notes the use of British media in
limiting the information on developments in Venezuela misrepresenting, for
example, the land reforms.

ADM recalls that an IFJ mission to Venezuela in 2002 concluded by calling on the wider trade union movement to
support media professionals striving to maintain journalistic integrity in the
face of intolerable pressures. Both our sister union the Sindicato Nacional de
Trabajadores de Prensa and the Colegio of Periodistas declared their strong
opposition to the manipulation of the media by all sides and called for new
initiatives to create editorial standards that will stand up to political and
commercial pressure from owners and politicians alike.

ADM reaffirms its opposition to any attempt by
US backed groups to destabilise Chavez and instructs the NEC to support the IFJ
affiliate SNTP in defending its members against the intimidation they have
endured during recent years, and carrying out the urgent dialogue between
government, media and journalists needed to restore public confidence and
maintain ethical and professional standards in their work.

ADM agrees to support any wider trade union
initiative to highlight the issue of Venezuela within the British labour
movement, including the participation in a trade union delegation to meet and
build links with Venezuelan trade unionists. Furthermore, this ADM pledges to
work with trade union endorsed campaign such as “Hands Off Venezuela” to further the above aims.